Bel Fuse sees earnings double

Bel Fuse Inc. earned $3.63 million, or 32 cents per share on sales of $45.8 million in the third quarter, compared to $1.74 million, or 16 cents per share on sales of $27.4 million in the same period a year ago.

The Jersey City, N.J., components supplier attributed the gains to the acquisition of the Passive Components Group of Insilco Technologies earlier in the year. "Profitability has benefited from the operating improvements at the Passive Components Group and the introduction of new products, particularly our expanding line of integrated connector modules," said Dan Bernstein, president of Bel Fuse, in a statement.

For the first nine months of 2003, Bel Fuse earned $8.1 million, or 73 cents per share on sales of $115.6 million, up from $1.2 million, or 11 cents per share, on sales of $68.6 million for the first nine months of 2002.